The Sun. — London, England, 1809-07-13 00:00:00

EAST-INDIA. HO-USE, THITEspAT, THE GTII ar JULY, 1809. -At -a 'GENERAL COURT of the Ifs - 11mi 'COM PANY OF MERCHANIt OF EUGLAN;IS. TRADING TO 3'111,' EAST-rICDIE3, held _Oils clay, liaving . - taken into . its se, ious consideration the Report laid before iron the 2911, ot March last, purporting to be. a Repo'rt from a Sel,Ct Committee of he House of COMmons; appointed to inquire into the existence of any col rupt practict.s is regard to the appointhient and no mination of Writers or Cadets in the -service of the East-lb,lia Company," 'cannot but express its deep , r - e,grei at the corrupt and improper transaetions there in discinsed ; and that this Court; while it obs,rYeS with great pleasure the declaration of the said Corn inittee, ihat Ihrdughout the whole of the,evidence ihey remark nothing which traces any one of such car. pt or improper bargains .to any Director, or in: a reasonable suspicion that they were done ith his privity bi connivance;_ decidedly. of .)pinion, That it greater degree of circtiMspeaiori in tie appointment of the civil and military Servants of fire 'East-India Company is not only eStbittial to'its aed to the success ot its affairs; but highly important to the public interest i It doth therefore; deti'2'l=t : iiine, That in future,' all Wrlters and Cadets; as well as the Students meant for such appointments; shall be examined and.chosen in,an open Court of Directors, which Court shall be bound to make, by the interrogation of the candidate and of the person recoptr.ending him, and by such other examination and means as shall seem to them to be expedient for the purpose, a . full inquiry into the character, con ncaions and quakfications Zl the said candidate, as well is into the means of his introduaion to that Court, and to record upon their proceedings the re sult of such inquiry, with their determination there on.. That ail such candidates stroll present petitions for their appointments; but that no petition shall be entertained or discussed, unless the same be indorsed or underwritten by a DireCtor, in the following terms, over and above any, declaration now required, viz.— " I, A. B, bcin'g one of the DireCtors of the East ludia Company, do declare, that I have fully inqui red into the charaaer, the cOnneCtions,' and qualifi cations of the within petitioner, C. D. and that in my oiiinion, he is a tit person to petition the East-_lndia Company for the appointineut which he herein soli cits." But that nothing contained in the said, or any other declaration from a DireClor, shall 'relieve the said Court from the obligation of pursu ing, with the utmost strictness, the aforesaid inquiry. And that it shall not be lawful for any Dii - eatoi to circulate any written recommendation of any can didate, or otherwise , interfere in his appointment, than in an open Court of Directors. Provided al %says, that each DireCtor shall beat liberty so to in dotse, or underwrite, so many and such petitions as be would, according to the present mode.atid rules respecting patronage, be entitled to sign nominations and no more. And that the Court of Diredors do lay before this Court, at least once in each year, or oftener if required, an account of the number of Writers, Cadets, and Students, whose petitions have been rgreed to, as well as the number of those whose petitions have been rejected. Resolved unanimously—That the thanks of •this Court be given to George Smith, Esq. M. P. for the very honourable promptitude with which he pro posed, in his place in the House of Commons, an in quiry into the alleged abuses, with respea to the appointment of the civil and military servants of this Company ; and to,Charles Grant, Esq. M. P. who seconded the same; and such others of the Direc tors, %sho, as Members of the House of . Commons, supported with so much zeal and unanimity the said inquiry. , Resolved That the said Resolutions be printed for the use of the Proprietors, and inserted in the public papers, together with such resolutions as the Court of Direttors may have come to on the same suhjed At a Cuurt of Diniaors, held on Thursday, the 28th tebruary, 1799. Resolved unanimously—That, on occasion of any recommendation for a Writership, which recommen dation has already taken place this season, or may take place in this and any succeeding season, decla ration in writing upon the petition to the following purport, be made by the Diredor who gives the same, viz. I recommend this petition, and do most solemnly declare, upon my honour, that I have given this no mination to A. 13. ; and that T neither have received myself, nor am to receive, nor has any person, to the best of my knowledge or belief, received, nor is to receive, any pecuniary consideration, nor any thing convertible, in any mode, into a pecuniary be ,netit, on this account.As witness my hand." Resolved unanimously—That • every appointment made in consequence of corrupt practices, in regard .to the disposal of Patronage, shall be null and void, unless the parties to whom the appointment is given Nall, upon examination before the Committee ap• pointed to investigate the circumstances attending the distribution of Patronage, enable them to report so the Court, that he has made a fair and candid ilisclosure of all circumstances attending the Inc. At a Co.art of Dire&ors, held on Wednesday, the Pith Augusi, 1E,()(3. _ . Resolved—That any person who shall, in future, tle nominated to a situation, ci' her civil or military, in the service of this Company, and who shall have ,Otaitted such nomination, either dire&ly or indi rectly, by purchase, or agreement to purchase r •ilrou it the mediuM of an agent or ot h er person - -,hall be rejeiSted,and the person, so nominated shall be rendered inc apable of holding any situation what so‘vcr in the Company's service. And in the event of any person having obtained an appointment in the manner before stated, and proceeded to India previous to its being disco% ered., such person shall be dismissed the Companyb.service, and ordered back 'to England, and shall also be rendered incapable of holding. any situation whatever in the Company's service. at a Secret Court of Direaors,,held on Tuesday, the 14th February, 1699. The Court having considered thecontents Of these letters * : Memorandum... These are letters relating to Mr, Thel- ILISSIJICL patrcrrage, LONDON: Printed by 111(21 At the Sus-Gh-Fic. iles(Aye'd—That as 'Colittmittee of li Hononr able f-fouseof Commons was, on the Motion of a Member of this Court, who is also a Me:;,iber of that Hoil*Se - , appointed on the i t th instant ko examine in to a tl .corrup l t practices, and all agreements, hatrgains, or negotiation's for she sale of East-india Writerships and Cadetship's', this Court will - not take upon them the Investigation of the matter now brdught beh!e them, in the manner in which they would other Wise certainly deem it their duty immediately to do ; but that a copy 'of. the said letter, and of its inclosures, be transmitted' to the Chairman of that Honourabie Committee for their information. Resolved,That a 'cOpy'of the minutes of the - S'e• - • 'ore Court of 'DhetiOrs; held on Friday, the 3d in star(, tin the information of Mr. Robinson, a Mem ber-of this Court, reStieqhig the- siisi - :ected sale of a cadetship, given by him to a gedtleman of great ye ipthability, be alio transmitted to the said Cool= Mittee. Resofved,.-That the Rep Oil of *the Committee of Shipping, stating their proceeding's in order to dis. cover the truth-of - this last-mentioned business; be also transmitted to the Chairman of the Said Committee, in the hope that the Honourable COrnmittee;who can act, with more authority than belongs to-the-Court of Directors, will be pleased to carry on the investi gation into the said transaction. Resolved,—That the Chairman do s cOnimunicate to tint Chairman of the said Committee the earnest wish of this Court to contribute all in their power to the prosecution of the investigation for which the Committee of the Honourable House of Commons is appointed, and to give the Committee every i n .: formation which the records of the Company enable them to furniSh, as well as to meet individually any inquiries which the Honourable ConiMitee Injyjudge fit to propose to therii. At a Conit'of Direaors, held onltiesd4; the 28th March, 1809. it was, on a motion, Resolved,—That -a Court be summoned for Thursday next, at eleven o'clock; to take into consideration the Report of the Committee of the House of Commons appointed to inclul - e into the existence tof any abuies in the disposal of the pa tronage of the East-India Company. • Metnoraudurn.—;The Resolutions of the ,Court of Directors, which tollow, were read in the General Court the 2d of June last, vtz. At a Court of Direetors, held. on Tuesday; the 4th April, I sog. The Court resuming the consideration of the Re.; port of a Committee of the Henourable House of Commons on the Patronage of the t ast-India Com . - pany Resolved,—That it is the duty of the Court of Di rectors tp at in strict contOrmity with their Resolu tion of . the 28th February,. ling and they there fore resolve, that it expedient that the Court should resort to the painful measure of immediately order- , ing from India such. persons in the Company's civil and military, service, as shall appear bysatisfaEtory evidence to' have obtained their appointments by , corrupt considerations, paid either by themselves or through .their friends. The Court deem this pain ful determination necessary, not so much with a view of punishing parties who may perhaps be many of them ignorant of the circumstances under wh►ch their appointments hive been obtained, and the Suf ferings therefore of many of whom, even. in passing this resolution, the Court does not deem it any im peachment of its duty to comuliserale, but under • an opinion, that such a severe example is absolutely necessary efiedually to slop sucl improper pradices in future. That, in respeet to Writers, in addition to the al ready existing regulation, by which the Direetor con ferring the appointment, declares that he has given this nomination to anti that he " neither has " received himself, nor is to receive, nor has any " other person, to the best of,his knowledge or be " lief, received, nor is to receive, any pecuniary con " sideration, nor any thing convertible in any mode " into a pecuniary benefit on this account ;" it be in future a positive rule, that the declaration, be sides specifying the person through whose recom mendation the appointment is obtained, shall. also specify the name of the person who is to' receive the same, and that the Direator shall see and exa mine the party so receiving the appointment; before he is presented to the Court. That whenever a writership is conferred on any person, his friends or connections shall enter into a penalty bond, to forfeit the sum of 30001. to the Com pany, if such writership shall be found 'to have been in any way bought or sold, or exchanged, fur any thing convertible into a pecuniary benefit ; and that this regulation shall extend' to the friends and con petal° .s of those persons who are appointed on the nomination of any (mem whom the Court of DireCtors may give a writership ; and farther, that this Resolu- . lion shall not Vacate the Resolution of the 28th February, 1799, determining the recal of all writers or cadets in virtue of any corrupt bargain. That it has been proved to be expedient for, the Court to order, that, in future, - no'llireaor shall give a blank card of admission for a military situation, though the Court are happy to observe that this attice has not often occurred, but that upon the card of appointment he shall ex.: , :ess, in his own hand-writing, the- name _of the party to whom he gives the same, the name of the person who is to fill the situation, and that he shall moreover see, and himself examine, the person so to be appointed, if the person be in Europe, and be satisfied, as tar as his belief extends, that no improper consideration has passed, or is to pass, for such appointment. That it be referred to the law advisers of the Com pany to consider whether any suit or suits can be instituted against the persons who shall appear by the Report of the Committee of the House of Com mons to have received pecuniary or other considera tions, in respeet of appointments for India, for the purpose either of punishing the parties in a pecu niary or other ,manner, who have been guilty of these practices, or of making any further discovery, if there shall be any reason to suspect that the whole truth shall not have been stated to the Committee of the House of Commons: - That all exchanges of writerships or cadetships be tweet' Diicaors or others receiving any such pa tronage from the Court, shall be agreed upon and recorded in open Court. Thar this Court will proceed further upon the sub- then before the Court, of appointments stated in the Report, of the Commit fee of the House or-Commons, which, recently inquired into the disposal of East-ln, din patfooa,*, to have. been corruptly procured ;•and that.. the said ReSointion was trot meant to exclude the consideration of any other case or cases of car rUpt purchase in procurcMent,,Which might at any time be discovered, though such cases should have occurred before the 6th of August,lBo6 ; more espe cially, if any such-case should affeEt any of the Di 7, redori of the Company ; liecanse it was particu larly with the: view of leading to a deteatOn of , any miscoodua on their part, should such have existed, that the -Court passed the Resolution of the 28th February 170, annulling all appointments obtained by corrupt means, unless a voluntary discovery were Made by the parties obtaning.tlietii. Resolved—That writers and cadets dismissed frOm the Company's service, because their appointments . were procured by corrupt pratliCes; and who are rendered capable of b e i ng re-appointed into the seri vice, Upon the nomination of individual Diredors, provided they' ha v e no t t h emse lves been parties in any corrupt - praOicei, shall nevertheless, after re ceiving such re-appointment, be capable of enjoying the same only by a vote of a General Court, founded on the recommendation of this Court. WILLIAM RAMSAY, Secretary. On,Thurs&iy last, abbut six o'clock in the even. ing, the inhabitants of Cirencester were alarmed by the appearance of one of those phenomena, coin. mcoly described or known by the name of a torna do, or whirlwind. It was first observed about three Miles to the sOuthwaid of the town,, where it assum ed the. - appearance- of a large conical hay-rick, en compassed with smoke. It moved rather slowly at. first, in a direction towards Cirencester, throwing down many trees, in the parish of Siddington. In deed so tardy was its progress, that some per-• sons had time to get upon the tower of Preston( church, in order to• observe its__ course. Whets it approaChed* nearer to Cirencester, it moved ont with a velocity almost incredible; and, making towards the basin of the canal, where it did consider able damage,- skirted the town, and entered Lnrd Bathurst's park from the Tetbury road. Here its fury seetnel to be at its height ; for ti m b er t r ees„ Measuring from six to ten feet in girth, were torn completely up by the - roots, whilst others were stripped of their 'branches, or literally cut asunder.. After crossing the park, it entered - an orchard a Barton Farm, where it threw down - several trees, Sce.•and seemed to. disperse, as, it eou ld, no _l onger b e traced by the naked eye. It would almost be end less to attempt to describe the mischief it occasioned, by the blOwing doWn of ricks, unroofing of ware houses, &c. near the _basin. A waggon, loaded with faggots, with the: horses -taken ad; standing one end of the wharf, was impelled forwards nearly forty yards; and its --progress was only stopped •by' encountering a building, which brcike the shafts off; short. . SWF NE WS • ORAVESEND, JUL? 11. • Sailed-the Camd en Tyl er , f or Q ue b ec; Cambrian, l3lon -41, for Gibraltar ; Summer, Hubba r d , f or M a j orca ; and the Harmony, Bogies, fOr Heligoland, BIRTHS. Oti the 6th inst. at Standish-Hall, Lancashire, Mrs.. Strickland Standish, of a still-born child. On Saturday last, at the Priory, near Reading, the Ladr of George E. 13eauchainp Prolor, Esq. of a Daughter. 'On Monday last, Mrs. Kinderley, of Lincoln's-inn-fields, of a Son. Yesterday, at his house in Manchester• street, the Lady of William A' Court, Esq. of a Son and Heir. M4RRIED. On the Bth inst. at St. Gabriel, Fenchureh:street. Mr.. Charles Du Buit, of Vevey, in Switzerland, to Fanny, daughter of the late John Stephen Blacke, Esq. of Boreharra Wood. On Saturday, .at. St. Mary-le-bonne Church, Mr. 0- Drysdale, to Miss Gibson, of Buktrode-strect, Cavendish square. On Monday last, at Hethersett, in Norfolk, Mr. William Abel, Merchant, to Harriet, the youngest daughter of James Hardy, Esq. of that place. . ' The same day, by special licence, at her father's house Montague-street, Miss Wyndham, eldest daughter of the Hon. W. Wyndham, to William Miller, Esq. of Ozelworth Park, Gloucestershire. On Tuesday, at St. Magnus, London-bridge, Edward Fran. cis, Lsq. to Miss Davidson. • The same day, at St. Mary-le-bonne Church, Robert Gor. don, Esq. of Auchendolly, in the Stewart ry of Kircuclbrighte North Britain ' and of Lewestou; in th e C oun ty o f Dbrset. to Elizabeth Anne, only daughter and - heiress of the late Charles Westley Coxe, Esq. of K.emble-House, in the County of Wilts. OtiTuesday, at St. Andrevoc, Holborn, Mr. john Howton, St?veyor, of Furnivai's-inn, to Miss Arnie, Barnes, eldest daughter of Het or - Barnes, Esq. of botolph-lane. DIED, On Sunday morning, the zd inst. at Bardficld- Hall Essex, , Joseph Green, F.sq. of Guildford-street. On Thursday last, at Bath, at an advanced age, Mrs. worthy. _ The same day, at Brighton, Mr. Tilt, Wine-merchant., and for upwards of zo years master of the Castle Tavern in that Town. tau Friday last, at Wciton, In Yorkshire, Thomas WiiA Lamson, Esq. in his 74th yeifr. The same day, Mr. Richard . Lee, of Mile-End, Surgeon' and Apothecary. On Sunday last, at Enfield, George Gapes, Esq. in the 71d year of his age. On Monday last, in Nottingham-street, Mary-le-bonne*: John Compton, Esq. The same day, in Dover-street, Piccadilly, Colonel Fran.: cis Carruthers, late of the ()Ist Regiment. On Monday last, at his house iu the K Mg's-road, Chelsea; Charles Hopkins, Esq. Lately, Mrs. ISompass, of Fishponds, near Bristol, On Tuesday the t itit inst. Mr. 'few, or Margaret-street,: Cavendish-square, an eminent Coach-builder. * Lately, at Messina, "aim Wood, Esq. Cordmissary to the forces in the Mediterranean. A few days ago, at Canterbury, on his Way from Margate,. Walter English, Esq. of Kennington. Lately, aged is, of a rapid decline; Elizabeth, elfest daughter of the Rev. Dr, Williams, Archdeacon of hlerio neth. _ On the i6th ult. Mrs. Elizabeth Breekel, of Chorley; She was carried to her grave by four of her sons, whom she bad at two births. Lately, at Walthamstow, Richard, youngest son of (. C, Blanckenhilgen, Esq. or Amsterdam. PRICE OF Bank Stock, Navy c per Cent. 98 5 per Cent 17?7, Irish s per Cent. 4 per Cent. 844 3 per Cent. Rect. 68 3 per Cent. Cons. b 7 a Bank L. Anu. 18 it- t6ths . . 'jet} n i tattef of the first of the preceding Resolutions, when the evidence annexed to the Report of ' COlllniitier of the House of Commons shall be be fore th e .Court . At the Court of DireEtors, held on WedneSdaY,..the . - 12th April, 1809, Resolved,—That the whole of the Court's patron nge, which has been hitherto passed by the Corri mittee of Shipping; namely; the cadets, .assistant surgeons, free mariners; and volUnteers for the Bombay marine and Bengal pilot service; be in In iureexamined and passed by the Said - Seled Com mittee,_ (appointed to superintend the Military Se minary lately formed ;) that it be referred to the Said Cdnimittee to revise all former order's and re gulations for the admission of cadets and other Per. ' tons 'into the service, and to report, whether atiy, and what further regulatiOns may be necessary, to prevent the oceurrenceOrsuch corrupt prgtices in future. At a Seminary Committee, the 26th April, 1809, On a motion, Resolved,—That the friends of the cadets to whom the nominations are given by the Direciors, be required to attend'at this House with'thetn; and I rliat they, be likewise required to write a letter to this COminittee to the following effect, viz.- - " To the Honourable Committee for . passing Military' Ap pointments. Gentlemen,-1 do hereby declare upon my honour, that I received the nomination of a Cadet for the loam Esq. gra tuitously, and that 1 have given it gratuitously to Mr, , with whose family and connections I am'well .ietluainted. " am, Gentlemen, Your Most obedient servant; .. At a Court of Direaors, 'held on. Friday, 5 tli . May, 1809, . The detail of the evidence annexed to the Report of the Committee of the House of Commons ap-. pointed to- inquire into the existence of any abuses in the disposal of ,the patronage of the -East-India Company, having been some time before the Court„ the Court now probeeded, Conformably to their Re solutions of the 4th of last month, to the considerai , Lion of the further measures, which the said Resolu tions, and -those of the 28thlieb. 1799, and 6th Au gust, 1806, may require.' Resolved,--:Lhat to answer the ends. for.which the Resolution of the 28th February,. 1799,- and 6th August, 1806, were adopted, it may be sufficient; on the preseet occasion, to limit the retrospeaive operation of those Resolutionh to the 6th August, 1806, when the latter Resolution was promulgated, and at that time only the determination of the--Court to annul all appointments procured by corrupt means was generally made known to the public at by the publication of it in thg Gazette, .and. in the Newspapers of London,ldinburgh, and Dublin, as well as by printed advertisements. Resolved by .the Ballot,—That whereas it is de clared in the said Resolution of the 6th August, 1806, that any person obtaining their appointments by purchase, or agreement to purchase, shall be ren dered incapable 6I holding any situation whateverin the Company's service.; it maybe sufficant to ap-, ply the -said declaration to such persons nominated into the . service as shall themselves have been par.': ties, by concurrence or knowledge, in any corrupt transaaion for ,obtaining their. appointments, respec tively; a being always understood that no person un-; der these circumstances, shall be restored to the ser vice by grant from the Court, but only by his, receiv ing an appointment from the patronage of some in- - .dividual Director. Resolved,—That the same declaration which is . now, annexed to the certificates of baptism produced by young men coming for the appointment of cadets, by the parents, or next of kin of the said young men, be required, in like manner of the parents.or next of kin of young men presented for the appointments of writers. Resolved,—That it appears by the Report of the Committee of the House of Commons, that the fol lowing appointments, and nomination to the Col lege, conferred subsequently to the 6th August, 1806, were purchased by the friends of the parties, who received the same, though without the privity of any of the Dire Tors who respealively conferred those appointments. [N. B. The names' of the persons so appointed and nominated, appear in the following minutes of tLe 12th May.] At a Court of Dire&ors, held on Friday, the 12th . May, 1809, .• , • Resolved _by -tbe Ballot,—That the appointrnents of the following persons be now rescinded and an nulled, and that the said persons be dismissed from - the - service of the Company, viz. • WRITERS. Edw. lames Smith, appointed 24 February, 1808, for Bengal. Fry Magniac - do. - - - do. CADETS. Thomas Kelly, appointed in - April, - ISA, for Madras. Gorge itarktr . Dec. JBoB, - Bena e al • George Teuiw - i. -- - . . • - do. John Samuel Williams - -23 March, 13c8, - _ do. ..._ i3ra;:thwaite Christie - - tSo7, - Madras. Tlionia Maw -23 Sept. - 1806, - Bengal. John Manson - du. Robert klanson - - - - tz do. - - - - louLis Locke - 3 February, 03,37, - Madras. Resolved by the Ballot,----That the nomination of Henry GThrdiner, as a student in the East-India Col lege, on the 13th January 1809, with a view to his future appointment as a writer on the Madras esta blishment, be annulled, and that he be removed from the College accordingly. Resolved by the Ballot, unanimously,---That the appointment of Mr. Samuel Lewis to be a Cadet in 1800, which appointment he (being born of an Indian mother) carried through, by getting an Eng lishman, named Phillips, to personate him before the Committee of Shipping, be, notwithstanding the Resolution of the Court of the sth instant, which liMits the retrospeaive operation of the Resolutions of the 28th February 1799, and Bth August, 1806, to the date last-mentioned, annulled ; and that he be 'dismissed the Company's service on account of the fraud praaised by him. ' Resolved,— , -That in explanation of the first of the Resolutions passed en the sth instant, relative to the annulment of appointments procured by corrupt • means into the service of the Company, it is expe dient to declare in writing what was verbally mated at the time of proposing the said Resolutions; that it was intended - to have respect only to the list HARD HARRIS, of No. 4, Martlett-coart, Bow-street ; and Published by WILLIAM A RMICER Sc RI PPS, South Mlton.street, Grosvenor.square. F., No. Li:, Stiatadi when Advertisements, Orders tdr the Pap:4-, Letters for the Editor, &c. (post-Paid), must be addressed; STOCK'S DA. l'ndia Stock, 19 India Bonds, 235. 245. pt. , Excheq. Bills, Os. iv. pr, Omniu'rn, i pr. imperial 3 per Cent. 6'7 fr Ditto Ann. Cons. for Opening, Eg g